When Things Fall Apart
by CaptainSh
Summary: Divorced, and co-parenting their daughter Taya, this isn't exactly the happily ever after Kathryn and Chakotay were hoping for. Thankfully, their story isn't over yet.


**Disclaimer:** Paramount owns all the characters, I'm just taking them and as much as I hope it's where no one has gone before I really don't think I've managed to escape any of the clichés. Oops!

**Author's note: **This is the second fic I've ever written. This first is unfinished and published on this site under a different username, but I can't for the life of me remember the e-mail I used when I signed up to create the account. This one _is_ finished and I plan to upload a chapter a week, just to give me time to proofread and finalise everything. Do let me know what you guys think, not just about the storyline, but about the writing as well. Thanks and I hope you enjoy!

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**PROLOGUE**

'Taya, your father's here!' Kathryn Janeway called up the stairs to her seven year old daughter.

'Five minutes, Mommy! I'm still packing!'

'I thought I told you to get started on that hours ago!' Kathryn rolled her eyes as she pulled the front door further open and gestured for Chakotay to come in. 'You'd better sit down, five of her minutes is the equivalent of half-an-hour to the rest of us.'

'She gets that from you, you know, her tardiness,' Kathryn teased as she followed Chakotay into the living room. 'Can I get you some tea? Coffee?'

'Tea will be fine, thank you.'

As Kathryn hurried into the kitchen, Chakotay sat down in what had once been his favourite armchair, in what had once been his family home. Not much had changed since he had moved out over three years ago, his sand paintings still adorned the walls, the throw pillows that Kathryn hated, but Chakotay had insisted on having, still sat atop the sofas and he still featured prominently in the photographs that were lined up on the mantlepiece - although conspicuously absent were the pictures of him and Kathryn which had once graced the shelf.

Kathryn returned, two steaming mugs in hand. 'Here you go, one cup of tea, blend 9.'

'Thank you.'

She sat in the sofa opposite his armchair, feet tucked beneath her, cradling a steaming mug of coffee between her hands. There was a time when she would have tried to squeeze into the armchair next to him, sloshing her coffee everywhere while he complained about the mess she was making, secretly loving every minute of it.

They sat in awkward silence for a moment, before starting to speak at the same time.

'You go first,' he offered.

'How's Voyager?'

'You know how Voyager is.'

She glanced at him sharply and he groaned inwardly. Why was it that he just couldn't keep his cool around this woman?

'And it was going so well,' she said icily.

'Well, you started it.'

'What do you mean, Chakotay?' Kathryn said exasperatedly.

'"She gets that from you, her tardiness,"' he mimicked.

'I was just teasing, or have you forgotten how to take a joke?'

'Last I checked, jokes were supposed to be funny.'

'Maybe you'd better wait in the 'car. I'll get Taya for you.' Kathryn sat her mug down on the coffee table and made her way over to the staircase.

'No, wait, Kathryn, I'm sorry. Voyager's fine. The crew is fine. Better than fine, in fact. Everyone's on a high since the mission went so well, and we're all glad to have some down time back home. I'm sure that's what you'll hear from everyone once the debriefings start.'

Kathryn paused at the foot of the stairs, seemingly torn between going to get her daughter and continuing the conversation with him. Finally, and with great reluctance, she returned to the sofa. 'Well, I'm glad. That was some feat you pulled. We had quite a few celebrations over at HQ as well. I'm not sure anyone else would have been able to rescue the crew of the Reliance _and _avoid a major diplomatic incident,' she offered in an attempt to mend fences.

'That's high praise coming from you, Kathryn.'

'I mean it.' Kathryn looked at him earnestly, 'Just because our personal relationship didn't work out doesn't mean that I don't still have the utmost respect for the work that you do, Chakotay. I wouldn't have recommended Voyager for the mission otherwise.'

Somewhat embarrassed, Chakotay tugged at his earlobe. 'Thank you.'

A thundering down the staircase alerted them to the fact that their daughter was ready to go.

'Please, Taya, you're not an elephant.'

Ignoring her mother, Taya Janeway flung herself into her father's arms. 'Daddy! You're home!'

Even Kathryn Janeway couldn't help but smile as Taya peppered her father with kisses and Chakotay spun her around the room.

'Did you bring me anything, Daddy?'

'Of course, its at the house.'

'You should have brought it here, then Mom could've seen it too.'

'You can bring it back with you on Sunday.'

Kathryn groaned. 'It had better not be anything like that Matralian horn you brought back the last time. That thing kept going off in the middle of the night. We had to keep it in a soundproof box out in the shed.'

'Kathryn, that horn is a cultural artifact, its not meant to be kept hidden away in a shed.'

'It was _really_ noisy, Daddy.'

'Well, I think you'll like what I got you this time.' He glanced at Kathryn. 'Both of you.' He reached for the bags Taya had left at the foot of the stairs. 'Oof, what do you have in here, latinum bars? Surely you don't need all this stuff just for the weekend?'

'Aunt Phoebe says its good to be prepared. Besides, I _need_ all those books,' said Taya heading for the door. 'Let's go.'

'She gets that from _you_, you know.' Chakotay remarked to Kathryn as they followed Taya out the front door.

'Her love for academia? Of course.'

'No, her bossiness.'

Kathryn rolled her eyes as she knelt down on the driveway to give Taya a hug.

'I'll miss you, Mommy.'

'I'll miss you too, sweetheart. Have fun.'

'Come on,' Chakotay said, standing by the passenger door of the hovercar, waiting to usher Taya in. 'Seven'll be waiting.'

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TBC


End file.
